As a professional North County San Diego carpet cleaning pro, I have come across horrible smells and stains that result from undesirable pet activity. The other day I walked into a house, and believe me, I’m considering keeping gas masks handy for all inspections since that day. They stench was debilitating. The owner of the house, a nice gentleman, owned 3 cats and had been guilty of locking them inside for just one night. Even so, the smell was horrific for the average cat pee smell, so I asked the gentleman if he had tried any home remedies. He told me he had tried to clean the carpet using vinegar and had used a deodorizer on the wet patches to neutralize the smell. The results had been devastating.
Other than bringing joy and love to the owners, our pets also generate a roaring business for carpet cleaning companies in North County San Diego. We love our pets to the extent of putting our expensive carpets and floorings at the risk of being soiled by them. More than 60% of Americans have one or more pets at home. The dog remains the most popular, followed by the cat. Other than the canines and felines, you’ll find an exotic variety of birds, tortoises, iguanas, hedgehogs, rabbits, and what not in American homes. Regardless of the pet that you own, pet stains on carpets are a problem that all pet owners face at one time or another.
More than 50% of the complaints that we receive at our office are about pet stains and odors. While cleaning a poop stain or getting rid of the obnoxious urine odor is fairly a matter of routine for professional carpet cleaners, pet carpet stains may become permanent if the homeowners are not careful when trying to clean on their own. At times, there are situations when the owners damage the fabric, threads or colors of the carpet in their efforts to remove the pet stains. The damage is visible and such stains wouldn’t go away even when the substance causing the original stain has been cleaned or removed 100%. The stains have become permanent because of discoloration of or damage to the carpet as a result of incorrect DIY cleaning. There’s little that any of the more than 900 San Diego carpet cleaners listed with Angies List can do to help you in such a situation.
Here are a few things that you must NEVER do when trying to purge your carpet of ugly smears and offensive smells.
- NEVER act impulsively
For most homeowners, finding their dog or cat urinating on the carpet is a nightmare scenario. Most of them, when they discover a pet stain, would go frantic and try to clean the stain using any means necessary. However, in their hectic efforts to get rid of the stain and the smell instantly, they might be immortalizing the pet stains. Scrubbing wildly with a coarse cloth or brush can ruin your carpet in seconds. - NEVER use a carpet cleaner unless you are 100% sure
The pH value of the cleaner must be within the tolerance limits of your carpet’s fibers and colors. This can be difficult, as there are rarely any cleaners available that bear their pH values on the labels. As a carpet cleaning service, we have different types of carpets and their tolerance limits on our fingertips. We always use absolutely safe cleaning solutions that gently clean the impurities away while leaving the carpet in its pristine condition. As a homeowner, you may not be as knowledgeable. Your best bet is to test the detergent or solution on an inconspicuous portion of your carpet. Apply and leave it on for about 30 minutes to see if there are any signs of fading. Call in a professional carpet cleaning company in North County if you are unsure. - NEVER scrub the carpet
If a certain pet stain or odor is refusing to go away, you might be tempted to scrub the carpet rigorously. If you have discovered a pet stain more than 10 minutes after your dog or cat caused it, the enzymes contained in pet urine have already penetrated to the padding or even the floor below it. Scrubbing is not going to make it go away. What it’s going to do is damage the fibers of the carpet, causing the stain to become everlasting. The rule with pet stains, or any other type of carpet stains is to wet and blot, and never to scrub. No carpet cleaning company can repair damaged or missing fibers; hence a distinct bald patch may continue to be visible where the stain was, even after the carpet has been cleaned perfectly. - NEVER douse the carpet in air freshener or (worse) perfume
The organic molecules contained in pet excrements do not respond to the synthetic chemicals that air fresheners contain. No amount of fragrance will suppress the obnoxious smell unless the organic molecules are either consumed by another organic substance, or are fully washed away from the carpet. The alcohol in the deodorizers pushes stinky cells deeper into the carpet fibers and solidifies the smell. There are many enzymatic deodorizers available on Amazon and other online retailers and you can also get them at the supermarkets. NEVER hesitate to call professional carpet cleaning North County San Diego
You’ll find plenty of home remedies and preparations online for cleaning different types of stains from carpets. Many of them work too. However, pet stains and odors are usually tough to get rid of. Even after wasting many hours and exposing your carpet to the risks associated with DIY cleaning, the stink and stain might still be there. Whenever you are pressed on time and are not sure whether you can clean pet stains and odors from your carpet, always call for help.
How would you go about cleaning pet odors and stains from you carpet? Share your experience and wisdom with us in your comments.